Hermione reads the epilogue
by ginnyrules27
Summary: Companion piece to Ginny reads the epilogue. Set during Christmas of Sixth Year. ONE SHOT!


Hermione reads the Epilogue

A/N: I OWN NOTHING!

Hermione sat on the bench by her window, thinking of Hogwarts. More like, she was thinking of a certain Weasley. How could he hurt her like that?

A flash of light interrupted her musings, and she was so startled that she knocked over her chair.

"Hermione, are you all right darling?" her mother called.

"Fine, Mum!" Hermione called back.

**"Nineteen Years Later,"** Hermione read. She was torn. She knew how dangerous it was to mess with time, but she did want to know about the future.

**Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first of September**

"Best day of the year," Hermione said softly. She did love her family but the first of September meant Hogwarts, magic and mystery.

**was crisp as an apple, and as the little family** **bobbed across the rumbling road toward the great sooty station, the fumes of car exhausts and the breath of pedestrians sparkled like cobwebs in the cold air. Two large cages tattled on top of the laden trolleys the parents were pushing; the owls inside them hooted indignantly, and the redheaded girl** **trailed fearfully behind her brothers, clutching her father's arm.**

If Hermione had been one to coo at every little thing, she would have cooed at that.

**"It won't be long, and you'll be going too," Harry told her.**

Hermione smiled. Harry deserved a happy future.

**"Two years," sniffed Lily. "I want to go now!"**

**The commuters stared curiously at the owls as the family wove its way toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten, Albus's** **voice** **drifted back to Harry over the surrounding clamor; his sons** **had resumed the argument they had started in the car.**

**"I won't! I won't be a Slytherin!"**

"It wouldn't be too bad if he was a Slytherin," she huffed but flushed a little when she realized she was talking to a book.

**"James, give it a rest!" said Ginny.**

"Ginny?" Hermione gasped and then smiled. So Harry finally stopped pretending he didn't have feelings for the youngest Weasley.

**"I only said he might be," said James, grinning at his younger brother. "There's nothing wrong with that. He might be in Slyth -"**

**But James caught his mother's eye and fell silent.**

**The five Potters** **approached the barrier. With a slightly cocky look over his shoulder at his younger brother, James** **took the trolley from his mother and broke into a run. A moment later, he had vanished.**

**"You'll write to me, won't you?" Albus asked his parents immediately, capitalizing on the momentary absence of his brother.**

**"Every day, if you want us to," said Ginny.**

**"Not every day," said Albus quickly,** **"James says most people only get letters from home about once a month."**

"Not if you're Malfoy," Hermione noted; remembering the basket the ferret would get during first year.

**"We wrote to James three times a week last year," said Ginny.**

**"And you don't want to believe everything he tells you about Hogwarts," Harry put in. "He likes a laugh, your brother."**

"Reminds me of the twins," Hermione said and then shuddered. She didn't think Hogwarts could handle another person like the twins.

**Side by side, they pushed the second trolley forward, gathering speed. As they reached the barrier, Albus winced, but no collision came. Instead, the family emerged onto platform nine and three-quarters, which was obscured by thick white steam that was pouring from the scarlet Hogwarts Express. Indistinct figures were swarming through the mist, into which James had already disappeared.**

**"Where are they?" asked Albus anxiously, peering at the hazy forms they passed as they made their way down the platform.**

"Who is he looking for?" Hermione asked, and then flushed when she realized that the book couldn't talk.

**"We'll find them," said Ginny reassuringly.**

**But the vapor was dense, and it was difficult to make out anybody's faces. Detached from their owners, voices sounded unnaturally loud, Harry thought he head Percy**

Hermione wondered how Ron would feel about that. Probably curse Percy or something.

**discoursing loudly on broomstick regulations, and was quite glad of the excuse not to stop and say hello . . . .**

**"I think that's them, Al," said Ginny suddenly.**

"Who is it?"

**A group of four people emerged from the mist, standing alongside the very last carriage. Their faces only came into focus when Harry, Ginny, Lily, and Albus had drawn right up to them.**

**"Hi," said Albus, sounding immensely relieved.**

**Rose,** **who was already wearing her brand-new Hogwarts robes, beamed at him.**

**"Parked all right, then?" Ron asked Harry. **

So Ron would marry Lavender then, Hermione thought sadly. She never even had a shot. Not that she wanted a shot, no. It would have been nice if she had had one is all.

**"I did. Hermione didn't believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I'd have to Confund the examiner."**

Her? Ron chose her? He'll dump Lavender?

That was the best news she heard all day!

**"No, I didn't," said Hermione, "I had complete faith in you."**

**"As a matter of fact, I did Confund him,"**

"Ronald!" Hermione shook her head. Her best friend would always take the easy way out instead of working hard.

**Ron whispered to Harry, as together they lifted Albus's trunk and owl onto the train.**

**"I only forgot to look in the wing mirror, and let's face it, I can use a Supersensory Charm for that."**

**Back on the platform, they found Lily and Hugo, Rose's younger brother,** **having an animated discussion about which House they would be sorted into when they finally went to Hogwarts.**

**"If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you," said Ron, "but no pressure."**

"Ron!" Hermione cried.

**"Ron!"**

**Lily and Hugo laughed, but Albus and Rose looked solemn.**

**"He doesn't mean it," said Hermione and Ginny, but Ron was no longer paying attention.**

**Catching Harry's eye, he nodded covertly to a point some fifty yards away. The steam had thinned for a moment, and three people stood in sharp relief against the shifting mist.**

**"Look who it is."**

**Draco Malfoy**

"Also known as the Ferret," Hermione muttered under her breath.

**was standing there with his wife and son,** **a dark coat buttoned up to his throat. His hair was receding somewhat,**

She gave a snort. Malfoy was so vain that she bet he _hated_ that.

**which emphasized the pointed chin. The new boy resembled Draco as much as Albus resembled Harry.**

"Does that mean that they'll also hate one another right off the bat too?" Hermione asked.

**Draco caught sight of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny staring at him, nodded curtly, and turned away again.**

**"So that's little Scorpius," said Ron under his breath.**

**"Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains."**

Hermione flushed at the compliment but smiled at the thought of her daughter having her smarts.

**"Ron, for heaven's sake," said Hermione, half stern, half amused. "Don't try to turn them against each other before they've even started school!"**

**"You're right, sorry," said Ron, but unable to help himself, he added, "Don't get too friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood."**

Hermione shook her head. Ron would never change.

**"Hey!"**

**James had reappeared; he had divested himself of his trunk, owl, and trolley, and was evidently bursting with news.**

**"Teddy's back there,"**

"Who?" Hermione asked, interested.

**he said breathlessly,** **pointing back over his shoulder into the billowing clouds of steam.**

**"Just seen him! And guess what he's doing? Snogging Victoire!"**

**He gazed up at the adults, evidently disappointed by the lack of reaction.**

**"Our Teddy! Teddy Lupin!**

"So Professor Lupin finally gets a family!" Hermione said with a grin.

**Snogging our Victoire! Our cousin!**

"Bill," she said with a nod. Victorie sounded French after all.

**And I asked Teddy what he was doing -"**

**"You interrupted them?" said Ginny. "You are so like Ron -"**

**"- and he said he'd come to see her off! And then he told me to go away. He's snogging her!" James added as though worried he had not made himself clear.**

**"Oh, it would be lovely if they got married!" whispered Lily ecstatically. "Teddy would really be part of the family then!"**

**"He already comes round for dinner about four times a week," said Harry "Why don't we just invite him to live with is and have done with it?"**

"Why isn't Teddy with Professor Lupin?" Hermione asked out loud.

**"Yeah!" said James enthusiastically. "I don't mind sharing with Al-Teddy could have my room!"**

**"No," said Harry firmly, "you and Al will share a room only when I want the house demolished."**

"Good, nip that idea right in the bud," Hermione nodded.

**He checked the battered old watch that had once been Fabian Prewett's.**

The name sounded familiar but Hermione wasn't sure where she had heard it before. Maybe a trip to the library once she got back to school would be in order.

**"It's nearly eleven, you'd better get on board."**

**"Don't forget to give Neville our love!" Ginny told James as she hugged him.**

**"Mum! I can't give a professor love!"**

**"But you know Neville-"**

**James rolled his eyes.**

**"Outside, yeah, but at school he's Professor Longbottom, isn't he? I can't walk into Herbology and give him love . . . ."**

_Neville would be a great Herbology professor! _ Hermione thought with a smile.

**Shaking his head at his mother's foolishness, he vented his feelings by aiming a kick at Albus.**

**"See you later, Al. Watch out for the Thestrals."**

"They're invisible to anyone who hasn't seen death," Hermione said to the book. Her poor future nephew.

**"I thought they were invisible? You said they were invisible!"**

**But James merely laughed, permitted his mother to kiss him,**

Hermione was glad that Harry's children seemed more carefree than he did. They would have a happier life.

**gave his father a fleeting hug,** **then leapt onto the rapidly filling train. They saw him wave, then sprint away up the corridor to find his friends.**

**"Thestrals are nothing to worry about," Harry told Albus. "They're gentle things, there's nothing scary about them. Anyway, you won't be going up to school in the carriages, you'll be going in the boats."**

**Ginny kissed Albus goodbye.**

**"See you at Christmas."**

**"Bye, Al," said Harry as his son hugged him. "Don't forget Hagrid's invited you to tea next Friday. Don't mess with Peeves. Don't duel anyone till you've learned how. And don't let James wind you up."**

"That was good advice, up until don't duel until you know how," Hermione shook her head. Harry would be Harry.

**"What if I'm in Slytherin?"**

**The whisper was for his father alone, and Harry knew that only the moment of departure could have forced Albus to reveal how great and sincere that fear was.**

**Harry crouched down so that Albus's face was slightly above his own. Alone of Harry's three children, Albus had inherited Lily's eyes.**

**"Albus Severus,"**

If Hermione ever swore, now would be the time she'd do it. Instead, she just stared at the page in shock.

"Severus? As in Snape?" she whispered. She had to be dreaming. Snape and Harry hated one another!

**Harry said quietly, so that nobody but Ginny could hear, and she was tactful enough to pretend to be waving to Rose, who was now on the train, "you were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."**

"We are positive this is Harry, right?" Hermione said softly. "He's not Polyjuiced right?"

**"But just say-"**

**"- then Slytherin House will have gained an excellent student, won't it?**

**It doesn't matter to us, Al.** **But if it matters to you, you'll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin. The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account."**

"It does," Hermione said softly. One of the reasons she had wanted to go into Gryffindor was to try to have a second chance at making friends with Ron and Harry.

**"Really?"**

**"It did for me," said Harry.**

**He had never told any of his children that before,**

Hermione thought she understood why Harry had never mentioned it, but wished that he had. She had told him that the Hat had wanted to put her in Ravenclaw after all.

**and he saw the wonder in Albus's face when he said it. But now the door were slamming all along the scarlet train, and the blurred outlines of parents swarming forward for final kisses, last-minute reminders, Albus jumped into the carriage and Ginny closed the door behind him. Students were hanging from the windows nearest them. A great number of faces, both on the train and off, seemed to be turned toward Harry.**

Hermione shook her head and felt sorry for her friend. She knew how much Harry hated the attention.

**"Why are they all staring?" demanded Albus as he and Rose craned around to look at the other students.**

**"Don't let it worry you," said Ron. "It's me, I'm extremely famous."**

"Ron," Hermione chuckled, shaking her head. Her redheaded friend really was great at diffusing tension, even if he did cause it ninety percent of the time.

**Albus, Rose, Hugo, and Lily laughed.**

**The train began to more, and Harry walked alongside it, watching his son's thin face, already ablaze with excitement. Harry kept smiling and waving, even though it was like a little bereavement, watching his son glide away from him . **

**The last trace of steam evaporated in the autumn air. The train rounded a corner. Harry's hand was still raised in farewell.**

**"He'll be alright," murmured Ginny.**

"He's a Potter," Hermione said, thinking about her best friend. "They're made of pretty strong stuff."

**As Harry looked at her, he lowered his hand absentmindedly and touched the lightning scar on his forehead.**

**"I know he will."**

**The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well.**

Hermione gave a small smile as she read the end of that. It seemed the war would end with a victory for their side. She just hoped it hadn't cost too much in the name of lives.


End file.
